Injury Report: 2013-14 Practice Notes and Injury Updates

[BigG44]

I'm not sure but hasn't Jokipakka only played on game?

All the lines do look close o what we'll see opening night, but maybe Tuesday will be Jokipakka's last shot to earn the role, and then Connauton get's the final look in the dress rehearsal game.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[Primetimey*]

I would be really happy if Jokipakka is in the opening night lineup. From the footage I have seen (all be it minimal) from Traverse, Training Camp, and Pre-Season he is a such a calm defender and pretty good with the puck. It seems like he can make a nice clean first pass out of the zone and doesn't rush into stupid decisions.

Very minimal viewings to really know much about the guy, but I think he could play a solid game.

 

[BigG44]

I would be really happy if Jokipakka is in the opening night lineup. From the footage I have seen (all be it minimal) from Traverse, Training Camp, and Pre-Season he is a such a calm defender and pretty good with the puck. It seems like he can make a nice clean first pass out of the zone and doesn't rush into stupid decisions.

Very minimal viewings to really know much about the guy, but I think he could play a solid game.

I wonder when and if Dallas will go overall young on D?

I was wrong about Jyrki not being young btw ... I thought he was 20 turning 21 in a couple months when Dallas drafted him, but he was actually only 19. He just turned 22 ... not 23 years old.

Because of Finland's style of play, you potentially have Connauton, Oleksiak, Nemeth, and Jokipakka all become NHL ready sooner rather than later.

At the very least, they have some of the best young assets possible, young D, should they want to heavily pursue a trade option for #1 D. Assuming one hit the market.

 

[BigG44]

Oh yeah ... and I still forgot Klingberg, Gaunce and Bystrom.

Klingberg is likely destined for a full season in the AHL, but (I need to confirm .. maybe tomorrow) I think pro seasons at 20 years old or older in Europe. Klingberg may require waivers after a single season in NA.

Gaunce is good not great. He won't get you much in a trade, and they could ultimately lose him for nothing.

Bystrom could come to NA as soon as next season if he keeps getting quality minutes in the SHL this season. Nemeth made the jump after 2 seasons, and Grossmann before him did as well out of the SHL. Fortunately, Bystrom could get three years to really simmer and develop in the AHL before you have to be concerned about waivers.

Still don't feel like anyone other than Oleksiak has the potential to be a number 1, but they are going to have to make trades to either get these guys NHL spots or flip them for different, useful assets.

 

[piqued]

That would be something if Jokipakka actually plays to start out with. I wouldn't be against it, in fact I think it'd be refreshing, but there will be bumps in the road. He had his moments struggling with the rink dimensions in that San Antonio game.

 

[Jokipakka]

Happy to hear Joki is doing well!

From what I have heard Connauton has not impressed in the own zone and Ruff is probably seeking a more defensive minded pair for Gonchar. I think Jokipakka-Gonchar could have great chemistry. Playing with Sergei could also help him reach his offensive potential. If Connauton still needs to work on his defensive play, I am fine with this. Jyrki is also exempt from waivers.

 

[BigG44]

Great to hear:

“One of my responsibilities is to turn them into guys that can be in real tough situations,” Ruff said. “On the flip side of it, you get opportunities on the penalty kill and if your best players are on the ice they can turn those opportunities into shorthanded goals for us. I had Chris Drury, who didn’t kill a lot of penalties, and by the time he finished his time in Buffalo he was one of the best penalty killers. I’d like to see our top guys kill.”

Not so great:

“It looks like Trevor will miss a little bit of time,” said Stars coach Lindy Ruff. “I don’t think he’ll be able to start the season, but it won’t be a long time.”

Daley was injured in Friday’s preseason game against Florida in San Antonio. The Stars are now down two NHL defensemen. Aaron Rome is not expected to be ready to start the season due to a hip procedure.

“It’s important. We’re going to have to deal with it,” said Ruff. “We’re going to have to be ready to deal with injuries to key personnel. Some guys that maybe weren’t going to be in the lineup are going to have to be ready to play when the season starts.”

 

[BigG44]

Mike Heika ‏@MikeHeika

Just talked to Trevor Daley. He said he's hoping he will be ready for season-opener. Neck area, but he didn't want to specify.

Even worse news .. yeah I'm glad he wants to come back by the opener, but this is what I feared. Sounds like it does have to do with the surgical fusion he had over the summer. On the Ticket, he said it was the same surgery that ended Moose Johnson's career with the Cowboys. Claimed it's not as serious now though.

 

[piqued]

Great to hear:

I don't think that's good to hear at all. In fact that's very discouraging to me.

Haven't we just gone through multiple years of our various head coaches leaning heavily on our top 6 players to kill penalties? In most cases this was one area where you couldn't even really blame them for doing so as the bottom 6 was so weakly constructed that they had no better options.

It was part of the pattern of the team wearing down come stretch time every year. You're tiring your point-producers out killing penalties as the season goes along while the depth players stay stapled to the bench during special teams play. Ideally your PKers would be drawn mostly from the bottom lines where they could spread out the burden. The marginal benefit of a higher shorthanded goal scoring rate is not worth what I think is the attendant decrease in even strength effectiveness from those players.

 

[BigG44]

I don't think that's good to hear at all. In fact that's very discouraging to me.

Haven't we just gone through multiple years of our various head coaches leaning heavily on our top 6 players to kill penalties? In most cases this was one area where you couldn't even really blame them for doing so as the bottom 6 was so weakly constructed that they had no better options.

It was part of the pattern of the team wearing down come stretch time every year. You're tiring your point-producers out killing penalties as the season goes along while the depth players stay stapled to the bench during special teams play. Ideally your PKers would be drawn mostly from the bottom lines where they could spread out the burden. The marginal benefit of a higher shorthanded goal scoring rate is not worth what I think is the attendant decrease in even strength effectiveness from those players.

You made good points, but I don't think he's indicating these guys are going to be workhorses on the PK. He specifically mentions shorthand goals so that makes me think of how Benn was used early in his career. I don't think you'll see these guys killing against the Sedin's and Crosby's of the league, but you could slip this pair out during the later part of the PK and potentially take advantage of a tired #1 unit or less skilled 2nd group.

Plus, the attitude of just making them better players all around is the important part to me ... a la Hitchcock and Modano and hundreds of other examples. Most teams that win the Cup have a ton of skill, but those skill guys usually buy into an all-around game. If Seguin can emulate a guy he's played with like Bergeron Dallas would be better off, and Benn, from the wing, could hopefully play with an attitude similar to Towes. Obviously I'm not saying they'll become these guys, but Dallas would be better off if they modeled their game after this type of player rather than a one dimensional skilled forward.

If you're correct though, and Benn and Seguin are eating heavy ES, PP, and PK minutes ... that could be a problem.

 

[Starry Knight]

In the video it definitely didn't sound like Ruff wanted them out taking most of the PK assignments. He just doesn't want them to have to sit on the bench for extended periods of time due to penalties. I am alright with them doing it on occasion, I just don't want them to have to put them in a position where injury or fatigue could hurt their ability to perform.

 

[BigG44]

In the video it definitely didn't sound like Ruff wanted them out taking most of the PK assignments. He just doesn't want them to have to sit on the bench for extended periods of time due to penalties. I am alright with them doing it on occasion, I just don't want them to have to put them in a position where injury or fatigue could hurt their ability to perform.

That's key to me. I think Ruff obviously realizes you can't have your potential two best forwards blocking Shea Weber point shots on the PP.

I really think they are going to be a niche PK duo late in the mix to try and create offense down a man. I think that's why he specifically mentions the shorthanded goals while talking about the two. On the other hand ... he mentions Drury who was a PK workhorse so piqued could be right.

That just seems like a recipe for disaster.

 

[ginblossoms]

benn be out on the pk whenever doughty is out on the pp.

 

[BigG44]

benn be out on the pk whenever doughty is out on the pp.

Ruff wants him to actually have to work for his goals.

 

[glovesave_35]

I don't think that's good to hear at all. In fact that's very discouraging to me.

Haven't we just gone through multiple years of our various head coaches leaning heavily on our top 6 players to kill penalties? In most cases this was one area where you couldn't even really blame them for doing so as the bottom 6 was so weakly constructed that they had no better options.

It was part of the pattern of the team wearing down come stretch time every year. You're tiring your point-producers out killing penalties as the season goes along while the depth players stay stapled to the bench during special teams play. Ideally your PKers would be drawn mostly from the bottom lines where they could spread out the burden. The marginal benefit of a higher shorthanded goal scoring rate is not worth what I think is the attendant decrease in even strength effectiveness from those players.

Leaning too heavily on star offensive players to kill penalties is counter-productive. I don't see this as a complete either/or situation though. If you look around the league almost every team has one or two "star" forwards who sit in the 1:20-2:00 SH/TOI range. Guys who fall into this category without seeing their stats go completely to hell include: Backstrom, Stepan, Kopitar, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Toews, Hossa, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Marleau, Pavelski, M. Koivu, Parise, and the list goes on.

I don't think your best offensive forwards should be your 2+ minute/gm guys but I don't agree with the philosophy of bottom six players killing penalties while top six players score. It helps keep your best players involved in those games that are completely bogged down by penalties as well as giving ownership of all facets of the game to your best players.

To me, saying you don't want your best players to kill penalties is like saying you don't want your ace pitcher to go past 6-7 innings in order to keep him fresh throughout the season.

 

[MetalGodAOD*]

I also don't remember Gulutzan relying on anyone in the top 6 to PK. Even Eriksson was on the 2nd PK unit.

 

[glovesave_35]

I also don't remember Gulutzan relying on anyone in the top 6 to PK. Even Eriksson was on the 2nd PK unit.

Among Stars forwards last season Roy and Eriksson were 4-5 respectively in ST/TOI at 1:40 and 1:37. Players ahead of them in descending order were Fiddler, Nystrom, and Eakin. The year prior Loui was 3rd but played about the same amount of time shorthanded at 1:47. The few years before that he was in the 1:20-2:00 range, the highest of which came during his breakout 36 goal season.

I'm interested in creating a team identity where everyone pulls their weight and aids in the cause. There's a reason the majority of the league's best forwards kill penalties at least 1 min/gm. Even 3/5 of the league's stop scorers found themselves killing penalties roughly 40 seconds per game. Ovechkin and Kane don't because they're not very good at it.

 

[BigG44]

What a ripoff ... why did we trade Loui Eriksson for a guy that can't out score Colton Sceviour?

Updated Pre-Season Stats

 

[BigG44]

Well .... that's disappointing:

Mark Stepneski ‏@StarsInsideEdge

Stars lines this morning: Benn-Seguin-Cole; Whitney-Eakin-Chiasson; Horcoff-Fiddler-Nichushkin;Roussel-Peverley-Garbutt

I thought the 4th line looked like the best line before the fight.

 

[Bluesoma]

Guess the question becomes if Mueller stays up in Dallas or gets sent down.

 

[Primetimey*]

Probably get Peverley one game in with low minutes on Saturday, then readjust the lines for Winnipeg next Friday.

 

[BigG44]

Guess the question becomes if Mueller stays up in Dallas or gets sent down.

They don't have to yet. They are only carrying 14 forwards and 7 D. The forced decision will come when Rome is healthy.

At that point they have to decide to keep 8 D or send down a forward.

 

[Alistar]

That's an interesting decision, I was wondering this morning about how they would knock Fiddler back down to the 4th line after he was the best player for us on the ice yesterday night.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

Probably get Peverley one game in with low minutes on Saturday, then readjust the lines for Winnipeg next Friday.

Sounds like the most likely plan.

 

[BigG44]

I didn't finish the game until early this moring ... but Dayum ... Peverley looks good.

Anyone else get the feeling the Bottom 6 needs a quick redo?

Roussel-Peverley-Nichushkin
Horcoff-Fiddler-Garbutt

That's not to punish Horcoff and Fiddler. I think Fiddler has been awesome. I just think all those chances Garbutt was getting because of great plays by Roussel and Peverley might be better served from a guy like Nichushkin.

I think you could have a more offensive 3rd line this way, and you still have a fine checking line as the 4th.

Ultimately, I think I'd like to see Glennie get healthy though and push out Garbutt. He's an OK player ... I just don't see much special about him. I think even his defense is just OK. He's a better 13th forward than he showed in the preseason though. Plus ... for the first time ever maybe ... Dallas would have a rightie on every line. Still would like to see Sceviour there, but that ship may have sailed.